For Dr. Joffrey Suprina, Life Is the Teacher)Rebecca Adams)6/5/2017<p>
When Dr. Joffrey Suprina was a sixth grader in Winter Haven, Florida, he
learned a lessohttp://www.argosy.edu/our-community/blog/for-dr-joffrey-suprina-life-is-the-teacher

For Dr. Joffrey Suprina, Life Is the Teacher

When Dr. Joffrey Suprina was a sixth grader in Winter Haven, Florida, he
learned a lesson that has served him well ever since.

His homeroom teacher walked into the classroom closet one morning and
emerged moments later to ask her students a question: “So what’s different
about me than when you saw me a minute ago?”

It was more than a lesson in being observant and present. It was a lesson
in teaching—from a woman who also happened to be his mother.

“She had a way of engaging and connecting with students in a way that was
very effective,” Suprina remembers. “Over the years, I’ve really come to
appreciate how so much of what I learned from my mother—both in the
classroom and in life—impacts how I teach and how I relate to people.”

While his mother taught him “people skills”, Suprina’s father instilled a
strong work ethic and taught him the power of trying new things. His father
got him a job working at a citrus experiment station when he was just 12
years old. Suprina worked with an entomologist counting bugs under a
microscope, with an inventor designing fruit picking machines, and with a
chemist making wine. Says Suprina: “My father believed that trying
different things was valuable because while what you’re doing may not be
your dream job, you can cross it off your list—and it may help you identify
what you want to be when you grow up.”

When Suprina graduated with his B.A. in Music from Rollins College in 1980,
he never imagined his career path would lead to academia. Over the years,
he worked as an audio-visual producer, a nationally certified massage
therapist, a conflict resolution mediator, a choir director, a case
manager, an arts programming director, a clinical mental health counselor,
and even as a clown for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

“Even though I never set out to be a teacher or a dean, everything I’ve
ever done has led me here and prepared me for this work, even if I didn’t
realize it at the time,” says Suprina. “I think that when you follow your
bliss and do what you love, the path forward presents itself.”

Suprina, who earned his Ph.D. in Counseling from George State University in
2006, is a big believer that the best path is not always the most direct.

“When you sail, you tack to the left, then you tack to the right,” Suprina
says. “You’re not moving in a straight line, yet you’re still moving
forward. That’s certainly been true in my life and career.”

Suprina, who is the founder and editor of
The Practitioner Scholar: Journal of Counseling and Professional
Psychology
, continues to teach multiculturalism and counseling skills classes in
addition to his duties as dean. He says he thrives on the energy of the
classroom.

“I think teaching is both an art and a science,” Suprina says. “While it’s
always a great idea to have an outline of where you’re going, I also think
there’s value in being flexible and fluid. When you stick to the script,
it’s easy to miss the miracles. When a class discussion veers off course, I
trust that the conversation is going where it needs to go—and that
something valuable will result. Being talked at is rather boring, so I’d
much rather create a conversation that gets people thinking, asking
questions, and sharing ideas. To me, it’s a much more stimulating way to
teach—and to learn.”

Suprina says he especially enjoys the dynamic of interacting with adult
learners.

“One of the benefits of working with adult students is that you can learn
as much as you teach,” he explains “They often ask wonderful, thoughtful
questions and bring a real world experience and perspective to the
classroom that is very energizing. They also tend to be more pragmatic.
They want to understand how whatever topic you’re addressing in class can
benefit them in their career. They’re motivated and invested in the
results.”

As Dean, Suprina says he has a clear focus on what he wants all Argosy
students to receive.

“I want us to share techniques, approaches, and philosophies that our
students can actually apply in the real world to make it a better place,”
Suprina says. “What are the benefits of studying a particular topic? How is
it going to help me be more effective in my career? How can I make a
difference? I want students at Argosy to be able to ask—and answer—those
questions.” ###